CHILDREN from Leehurst Swan School enjoyed learning about the Normans and Tudors at a visit to Romsey Abbey and King John’s House.

Year 5 children visited the abbey, which was originally a Saxon then a Norman abbey, to see the Norman architecture of round arches and chevron pattern in the stonework as well as symbolic objects.

They saw the title deed with its seal, which was granted in about 1544 when local people bought the former convent after the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII.

They also visited King John’s House, a medieval building with an adjoining Tudor cottage. The children took part in a Tudor feast, learning about the customs and hierarchy of a household.

They had a chance to study and copy Tudor handwriting, play a Tudor game, make woodcut style prints and use the steep, narrow Tudor staircase to the cottage.